500,000 copies of Boy Soup shared with Grade One students across Canada as part of... -- TORONTO, Oct. 21, 2013

500,000 copies of Boy Soup shared with Grade One students across Canada as part of the TD Grade One Book Giveaway

TORONTO, Oct. 21, 2013 /CNW/ - This fall, Canadian Grade One Students,
from coast-to-coast will be receiving their very own copy of the
award-winning picture book, Boy Soup, written by Loris Lesynski, illustrated by Michael Martchenko and
published by Annick Press. TD Bank Group, with the Canadian Children's
Book Centre (CCBC), will be distributing more than 500,000 copies as
part of the annual TD Grade One Book Giveaway to celebrate the
importance of children's literacy and encourage the joy of reading.

This year's program will take young readers on a rhyming journey with a
sick giant. In order to cure his raspy throat, the giant needs a bowl
of Boy Soup, but what the giant doesn't count on is catching a clever
girl named Kate along with the boys. Boy Soup brings friendship, courage and fast-thinking to life as Kate saves her
friends from their bubbling fate.

"As far as I can remember, I've always loved telling stories that
inspire the imagination," says Loris Lesynski, author of Boy Soup. "It's a great honour to be part of the TD Grade One Book Giveaway and
I'm extremely excited to help inspire thousands of children across
Canada to use their own imagination and creativity through reading."

Now in its 14th year, the TD Grade One Book Giveaway has distributed over five million
books across the country and is supported by school boards and
ministries of education and library organizations in all provinces and
territories.

"TD has always been dedicated to promoting children's literacy in
Canada. By giving children the gift of a book to read at home, we're
hoping that children will seek out even more books to read," says Frank
McKenna, Deputy Chair, TD Bank Group and TD's Literacy Advocate. "We
want children to be excited about reading and that's exactly why we
choose books like Boy Soup - it's a colourful story paired with exciting illustrations that really
jump off the page."

"It's always an exciting time of year around the TD Grade One Book
Giveaway," says Charlotte Teeple, Executive Director, Canadian
Children's Book Centre. "We know that the program is well-received by
the children, teachers and parents - and it is truly rewarding to see
how thrilled the students are to take their books home and start
turning the pages."

As part of the TD Grade One Book Giveaway, Loris Lesynski and Michael
Martchenko will be doing a cross-Canada tour in November.

For more information on the TD Grade One Book Giveaway visit www.tdreads.com and for information on the Canadian Children's Book Centre visit www.bookcentre.ca.

TD Community Giving
TD Bank Group invests in communities to make a positive impact where it
does business and where our customers, clients and employees live and
work. In 2012, TD Bank Group donated over $65 million to support
community organizations in Canada, the United States and the United
Kingdom. In Canada, we focus on Education and Financial Literacy,
Creating Opportunities for Young People, and the Environment. For more
information, visit www.td.com/corporateresponsibility.

About The Canadian Children's Book Centre
The Canadian Children's Book Centre is a national, not-for-profit
organization and registered charity founded in 1976 to promote, support
and encourage the reading, writing and illustrating of Canadian books
for children and teens. With book collections, programs and services
and extensive resources in five cities across Canada, the CCBC is a
treasure-trove for anyone interested in Canadian books for young
readers. For more information, please visit www.bookcentre.ca.